1 Det skjedde etter dette at Nahasj, kongen over ammonittene, døde, og hans sønn regjerte i hans sted.

It happened after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.

2 David sa: Jeg vil vise godhet mot Hanun, Nahasjs sønn, fordi hans far viste meg godhet. Så David sendte sendebud for å trøste ham angående hans far. Davids tjenere kom til Hanun i ammonittenes land for å trøste ham.

David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shown kindness to me. So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.

3 Men fyrstene blant ammonittene sa til Hanun: Tror du at David virkelig ærer din far ved å sende trøstere til deg? Har ikke hans tjenere kommet for å utforske, ødelegge og spionere på landet?

But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Think you that David does honor your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Aren't his servants come to you to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?

4 Da tok Hanun Davids tjenere, barberte dem og kuttet av klærne deres midt på, helt til baken, og sendte dem bort.

So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

5 Noen gikk og fortalte David hvordan mennene var blitt behandlet. Han sendte bud for å møte dem, for mennene var svært flau. Kongen sa: Bli i Jeriko til skjegget har vokst ut igjen, og kom så tilbake.

Then there went certain persons, and told David how the men were served. He sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, Stay at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

6 Da ammonittene innså at de hadde blitt avskyelige for David, sendte Hanun og ammonittene tusen talenter sølv for å leie vogner og ryttere fra Mesopotamia, fra Ma'aka, og fra Soba.

When the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Arammaacah, and out of Zobah.

7 De leide tretti-to tusen vogner, og kongen av Ma'aka og folket hans, som kom og slo leir foran Medeba. Ammonittene samlet seg fra sine byer og kom til kamp.

So they hired them thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and encamped before Medeba. The children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.

8 Når David hørte det, sendte han Joab og hele hæren av sterke menn.

When David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

9 Ammonittene kom ut og stilte opp til kamp ved byporten, og kongene som hadde kommet, stod for seg selv på marken.

The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city: and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

10 Da Joab så at slaget var rettet mot ham foran og bak, valgte han ut de beste mennene fra Israel og stilte dem mot arameerne.

Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.

11 Resten av folket overlot han til sin bror Abisjai, og de stilte seg mot ammonittene.

The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon.

12 Han sa: Hvis arameerne blir for sterke for meg, skal du hjelpe meg; men hvis ammonittene blir for sterke for deg, vil jeg hjelpe deg.

He said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for you, then I will help you.

13 Vær modige, og la oss kjempe for vårt folk og for vår Guds byer! Og Herren gjøre det som synes ham godt.

Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our God: and Yahweh do that which seems him good.

14 Så Joab og folket som var med ham, nærmet seg arameerne til kamp, og de flyktet for ham.

So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians to the battle; and they fled before him.

15 Da ammonittene så at arameerne hadde flyktet, flyktet de også for Abisjai, hans bror, og gikk inn i byen. Så vendte Joab tilbake til Jerusalem.

When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

16 Da arameerne så at de hadde tapt overfor Israel, sendte de bud og hentet arameerne fra den andre siden av elven, med Sjofak, høvdingen over Hadaresers hær, i spissen.

When the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians who were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer at their head.

17 Dette ble fortalt til David, og han samlet hele Israel, krysset Jordan og kom over dem, og stilte opp til kamp mot dem. Så når David hadde stilt opp til kamp mot arameerne, kjempet de mot ham.

It was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came on them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.

18 Arameerne flyktet for Israel, og David slo syv tusen vognmenn og førti tusen fotsoldater blant arameerne, og drepte Sjofak, leder for hæren.

The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed of the Syrians [the men of] seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.

19 Da Hadaresers tjenere så at de hadde tapt mot Israel, sluttet de fred med David og tjente ham; og arameerne ville ikke lenger hjelpe ammonittene.

When the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and served him: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.